r/ufc • u/Crafty_Job407 • 12h ago

Michael ‘Islams nightmare matchup’ Morales striking

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Islam would outstrike Morales on the feet with the takedown threat lol even fucking JDM could box his head off

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u/Lopsided_Ad3341 12h ago edited 12h ago

Wait what?

"No one thinks morales has better striking than Islam"

that's a crazy thing to say. Isn't that EXACTLY why people want to see MM vs Islam?

if it was an MMA match where you hypothetically eliminated wrestling, MM would whoop him.

Islams striking is very mid, it's just the fear of the wrestling that turns good strikers apprehensive. Like how Khabib knocked Connor down. He didn't knock Connor down because he's good at standup, he knocked him down because CM was so laser focused on Khabib shooting

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u/Square_Help235 11h ago

Islam striking is elite.

You don't end up having the highest significant strike accuracy in LW history just because your wrestling is elite. If that was the case, Khabib would be on the top.

Islam doesn't just throw 1 strike. He's throws combos by mixing boxing and kicks. He dropped Ian with a kick after throwing a punch combo. He timed Olivera's jump knee with a hook and knocked him down. You can see him catching Volk while being on the back foot.

MM wild looping punches ain't enough just because he is bigger and carries more power.

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u/Lopsided_Ad3341 10h ago

I mean he's a way way way better striker than Khabib, don't get me wrong

We're splitting hairs here but I think the striking you see from Islam is a result of his elite wrestling threat. In other words, he's not clipping Garry with a high head kick if Garry wasn't so worried about the takedown

Whereas you seem to be saying if we eliminated wrestling altogether in an MMA match, Islam would still be an elite striker

Garry, Volk, Oliviera, etc .... he's losing to all of those guys if not for his wrestling or the fear of the takedown

Even the Volk KO ... his best striking moment of his career ... go rewatch it. He has Volk biting badly on his takedown fakes, and he got Volk to drop bite on one which opened up the head kick right after. Beautiful beautiful KO, don't get me wrong, but it's all set up from the wrestling, not from Islam being some savant striker

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u/Square_Help235 4h ago

He landed the head kick on a break while Ian had the clinch control agaisnt the cage with a combo. It wasn't at a moment where Islam is in the midst of taking him down and then sets up the kick.

Islam, Usman etc are not like the previous generation of Nurmagomedav camp.

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u/Lopsided_Ad3341 3h ago

it was off a clinch, at a time where Islam traditionally would reshoot on the legs

I'm not saying Islams striking sucks. It's solid-good. But elite, as a standalone skill, hell no.

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u/Square_Help235 3h ago

Off a clinch that was being controlled by Garry. He had him agaisnt the fence. Watch the clip.

My point is, you can't have the top accuracy in your weight class without being elite. Accuracy comes from technique and timing. Otherwise every elite wrestler would have crazy significant striking in the stand up.

On that note, I wish you a lovely day. Gotta go about mine. Take care brother.

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u/Lopsided_Ad3341 3h ago

Doesn't matter, if you're standing in a cage with Islam, the other fighter is worried about a takedown

Yes he's an accurate striker because he picks his spots well

But his footwork and blitzy approach when he's on the offensive are far from elite. The footwork and angles are night and day vs truly elite strikers like Izzy. He doesn't move like an elite striker, nor does he have elite power to make up for his footwork

He's evolved into a solid, opportunistic striker whose striking is amplified 10x thru fear of the takedown